With One Day International (ODI) status at stake, Nepal take on Papua New Guinea (PNG) in a crucial seventh place playoff semi-final match of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers at Old Hararians ground in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Scotland and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have already retained their ODI status which is offered to the three highly-ranked non-Test playing teams. Scotland—from Group ‘B’—and the UAE—from Group ‘A’—entered the Super Six along with four Test playing teams leaving just one spot available to grab the ODI status.

Nepal, PNG, Hong Kong and the Netherlands failed to qualify for the Super Six but since the latter have already become an ODI nation, the remaining three teams will do their every bit to get the status that eluded them during a disastrous 2014 World Cup Qualifiers campaign in New Zealand.

The 2014 Qualifiers also provided ODI status to six teams in the 10-team tournament but Nepal ended up ninth. As the ODI opportunity has once again knocked at Nepal’s door, the Paras Khadka-led side would try hard not to let it pass by this time. With Hong Kong taking on relatively stronger Dutch side in the other seventh place playoff semi-final at the KwekKwe Sports Club on Thursday, a win over PNG could be enough for Nepal to earn the ODI status through 2022. But if Hong Kong, who had stunned pre-tournament favourites Afghanistan in the league game, shock the Dutch Nepal have to wait for the playoff final.

But to beat a team against whom Nepal lost in their only two previous encounters in 50-over cricket during the ICC World Cricket League Championship, Khadka’s men need to make sure they don’t leave any stone unturned. Although PNG are the only winless team so far in the Qualifiers, they gave Group ‘A’ giants West Indies and Ireland a run for their money.

Barring the batting collapse against the Emirates, PNG had given a decent performance in the group stage although they ended up losing all four times. Nepal, meanwhile, were below par with their batting in all four matches only to see them stay alive for contention with a five-wicket victory over Hong Kong courtesy an 89-run unbroken stand between Rohit Kumar Paudel and Sompal Kami.

Nepal saw Sharad Vesawkar and Aarif Sheikh make a half century against Zimbabwe, the only time they have crossed 200 runs in the tournament, but it came on a flat batting surface where the hosts amassed a tournament-high 380 runs. Since Vesawkar was out of two consecutive matches due to hamstring injury and his availability still in doubt, Nepal have to add extra effort in their batting.

The top and middle order for Nepal have all been about Khadka who has managed to collect 189 runs with two half centuries. Under pressure situations, Khadka has always looked fluent and confident and Nepal would need their other batsmen to follow his suit. Opener Gyanendra Malla has so far failed to deliver with the bat and need to give the best.

PNG batsmen have not been able to contribute collectively throughout the tournament but their opener Tony Ura and skipper Asa Vala could be the biggest threats. While Ura made 151 against Ireland, Vala struck half centuries against the West Indies and Netherlands. Considering the way Nepal lost against PNG in the WCLC matches in the UAE, they have to be extra cautious.

In the first match in the UAE, Nepal had scored 235 and reduced PNG to 138-6 before going on to lose the match by two wickets. They failed in the next game in similar fashion scoring 224 and lost by three wickets despite reducing the opponents to 116-6 at one stage.